The Boe-Bot from Parallax has taught thousands of people (including myself) about robotics using the Basic Stamp. Their excellent platform and documentation provided a great way to teach students and hobbyists how to build and program a robot that could navigate and interact with its environment.

Earlier this year, Parallax used the ideas behind the Boe-Bot and released the Robotics Shield Kit for Arduino, which is available in the Maker Shed. They took their Board of Education and transformed it into a shield (also available separately) that mounts atop your Arduino. The rest of the kit remains largely unchanged from the original Boe-Bot, including the sturdy, CNC cut aluminum chassis. Full documentation with over 40 activities is available online so you’ll be learning in no time. Simply add your own Arduino and a USB cable and enter into the fascinating world of robotics and Arduino!

We like this kit so much that we worked with Parallax to have the chassis custom anodized in MAKE blue, just for you! Not only does it look amazing, it sets your robot apart from the pack.

I am the Evangelist for the Maker Shed. It seems that there is no limit to my making interests. I’m a tinkerer at heart and have a passion for solving problems and figuring out how things work. When not working for Make I can be found falling off my unicycle, running in adverse weather conditions, skiing down the nearest hill, restoring vintage motorcycles, or working on my car.